2024-02-27 PL-SMA-2023-000046 V. Croft Testimony

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Since parking is now at a premium, lifeguards have a hard time parking in their space as well as the vendors. The vendors have allotted a space to Malama Pono Punalu'u for the persons on duty to park. When we come at around 4PM we have a hard time finding a spot and often have to wait 15 to 20 minutes for someone to move even in our designated spot. This parking lot always has someone waiting for a spot and emergency vehicles trying to access the beach, even have to wait. Therefore, I suggest, that parking is inadequate now and will be a nightmare in the future and should take priority in your planning so as to mitigate future damage. Furthermore, when nesting season starts, multiple groups need parking access in order to help preserve endangered species. This includes multiple cars which need a parking space near the vendors for various reasons, this includes federal, state and volunteer. When DAR came down to rescue an injured turtle, they had problems parking. The turtle rescue took over a week because they could not get there in time and the turtle would go back in the water. Federal protected wildlife, endangered species, is the ongoing concern for Malama Pono Punalu'u. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (Honu), 98% of the time, come to bask in what is now a rock enclosure. They choose the area and the lifeguards and others built and maintain the enclosure. Green sea turtles do not nest on Punalu'u beach, however, the Hawksbill (Honu'ea) do. The Hawksbill nesting, which as an endangered species, require the attention of and the monitoring by the Hawksbill group and Malama Pono Punalu'u. The Hawksbill group have people walking the beach every morning during nesting season to check for turtle tracks. Fifty to Sixty days after a nest has been verified, monitoring of the nest site is put in place. This is handled by a number of educated certified members and requires a member or two of the Hawksbill group to camp overnight to assist with and monitor the nests. They make sure that there is no additional lighting around to hinder the emerging turtles from making it into the sea. Only red flashlights are used to see on the beach. Car head lights are a problem now and lights from additional housing will be a problem in the future. What will additional residents and commercial properties do? At the very least they will add more light pollution to a very dark beach hindering the Honu'ea hatch. People will be coming down to camp out and watch the hatching necessitating more volunteers to control and patrol the area. Volunteers are at a premium and hard to keep. Hurricanes are another concern. Punalu'u beach is never closed by the county except when there is a hurricane. When this happens the parking lot next to the pavilions as well as the parking lot next to the lea shack, is taped off using yellow police do not enter tape. The tape is quickly taken down with the wind and tourists park there and go down to the beach. Lifeguards have a tough job keeping people off the beach, however, when they leave at 4:30PM the beach is left to anyone and everyone. I have witnessed, from a distance, cars parked and tourists on the beach. Tourists do not understand the danger. I believe the threat of an earthquake and tsunami is a great concern and we have little control of tourists and residents alike. Evacuation will be a major problem due to traffic concerns. This is a tsunami zone. I would also like to address the problem of the Hawaiian Monk seal. Although their visits are infrequent, we must keep people at least 50 feet from them at all times. If they are molting, they become nasty creatures. Mothers with pups need a distance of 150 feet. On a narrow beach this is a problem and will cause injury to anyone getting closer. Again, will the emergency vehicles be able to make it through the traffic? 2